Blood cupping is basically regular cupping applied in order to draw or let blood. The skin is being scratched beforehand by a filiform or the three-edged needle, and the cup is applied immediately on top of the scratches. The cup(s) is then left in place for 15-20 minutes and until it sucks out considerable amount of blood, usually dark colored. Then the cup(s) is removed. Blood cupping is most suitable for areas of pronounced pain, usually of the blood-stasis type. It is much more powerful than regular cupping which is usually applied when there is Qi stagnation rather than blood stasis. Blood stasis type of painful tissues is usually the result of traumatic injuries, internal impediment in the blood flow of various etiologies or a deterioration of long standing qi stagnation in a specific area.

Chuck K.

Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 07:44:

I have been using cupping, including blood cupping, in the clinic quite extensively for lower back ache, especially the sprained muscle type. It gives good results, no doubt about this. Yet, in my opinion, straight forward acupuncture is much more eeffective and faster in pain relieving. I have also used Dr. Halevi's chopsticks treatment for this problem and it is far better than the cupping... less than acupuncture though. On the other hand, I find blood cupping extremely helpful in frozen shoulder and tight muscles of the upper back. Especially very acute cases where the stick is very painful to apply. I wonder if other practitioners have the same notions about this issue. Chuck.

hello shmuel,well in my cupping set i have a thin book with pictures of human bodys, and it shows with little round circles where to do the cupping and is written next to it how this point would help the person.the problem is,is that its all written in malay,and of course i wanted details in english.And thank you for your time.

Alright Najmi, no problem. You can scan the cupping points chart and send it to me by Email. I shall mark the points for you by their English names and send you back the chart. Next, go to my homepage where the acupoints database is located and find each point with its specific qualities and clinical indications. How's that sound to you

Not quite, Jan. Blood cupping applied in serious conditions of blood stasis, yields quite an amount of blood. Usually, half of the cup (regular medium size) is filled with blood. It has been done so for centuries, and in my opinion this is how it helps best, and no less important, the quickest. The glass(es) remain in situ for 15-20 minutes and in that time most of the blood in the cup gets congealed. Still, some of it is still liquid, and it needs quick and steady hand work to remove the cup. I usually hold in my right hand quite an amount of sterile tissue while removing the cup with my left hand. At the same time I "cach" the contents of the cup with the tissue, wiping the area clean. After that, I apply a generous amount of sanitizer solution on the scratched area and cover it with cottonwool. Drawing a tiny bit amount of blood with the cupping, is suitable for blood stasis conditions which are not acute, do not involve severe pain, or for small children or the very elderly.

If you want to get into blood cupping, you really need to look up Korean acupuncture. Blood letting is big business in Korean acupuncture, it's pratically a therapy in its own right. From the little I was shown by a Korean therapist who specialised in hand acupuncture and blood letting, the amount of blood that you take out depends on what you are doing, what you are treating, the condition of the patient, and the point from which you are taking the blood. He showed me his manual: it was phenomenal. If you take blood from Sp 6 Sanyinjiao, in the context of a certain condition and using a certain technique, you get a whole different reaction from Sp 6 that you would never have expected. Seriously cool stuff. Check it out! It rocks!

Good blood or bad blood does not really matter. Bad blood is only considered when there is pus and other signs of sepsis. When blood cupping is carried out, it usually fills half of the cup (middle size) with blood. Take care not to spill it on the patient or bed... It works marvels especially in blood stasis painful conditions. Good luck.

It is a normal reaction of a sensitive skin to the suction operation of the cups, especially when heat is involved. It is advised to apply a soothing ointment on the skin in order to hasten its recovery. It usually disappears after a few days.

The reason blisters occur when cupping is because the cup has been left on too long & too strong FOR THAT PARTICULAR PATIENT.

The reasons why this might happen with some and not others vary; for example, delicate/thin skin due to old age, unhealthy skin due to heavy smoking, irregular bathing etc.

There is no real benefit to leaving cups on longer than 10 mins, most of their action occurs in the first minute & as soon as the colouring process has stopped, they can be removed. If no toxin/blood stasis colouring occurs, you can take them off. If your treatment principle is only to clear Wind Cold, this can be done with less heavy suction, which will not cause blisters.

It is important to keep checking the cups while on the patient, especially if it is the first time they have had them. As with moxa, never leave the patient unattended while cupping.

If a blister does occur (& it will, if you cup patients regularly), remove the cup immediately & tell the patient. Do not pop the blister, as this can allow infection in an unseen area. The blister will heal naturally within a week (in the same way as cupping marks disappear). But the patient will be aware of it because of irritation from clothing or a bra strap & maybe pop it when towelling down after bathing. So, it's important to discuss this & reassure them. Technically, it is your mistake though, so maybe a free treatment next time eh?

For a comprehensive understanding of cupping I highly recommend Susan Johnson's 8 DVD Cupping series - expensive, but probably everything you ever need to know to become expert at it. You can find a free online webinar by her on the Lotus Institute website. There is also Ilkay Chirali's excellent book "Cupping Therapy"

It can be various substances such as pus, water (from edemateous areas), etc. You need to bear in mind that cupping in such areas is most often contra-indicated, lest an infection or even ulceration can happen. That is especially so with people who have a retarded blood flow, diabetes, inflammation of blood vessels, etc. However, in some instances, for example tropical acne or specific boils, some doctors use ALSO cupping in order to draw out stale blood and pus, thus enhance recovery of skin lesions. Don't try it unless some experienced practitioner teaches you how this need to be carried out properly.

What is your opinion about some people using phlegm suction device on the head for blood cupping due to them not wanting to shave their hair at the cupping point on the head?

Since the pump is made to stay in power and without any particular guidance on how much suction level is applied, does it have any side effect or is this practice allowed..in terms of the medical perspective?

The same method is also done on hairy parts of the body as the conventional methods would not make it possible for the cups to hold suction, if the patient chose not to shave.

Im more concern on the way the suction is applied. The cup is attached to the device and when powered, the suction will continue until the device is turn off. There is no rule as to how much suction power to apply and how long to keep the device running. This is solely on the discretion of the therapist.

When the device is turn off the cup would automatically disattached and the process of pricking would begin. The device is then turn on again for draining of the blood and the device is kept running again until the therapist decides to turn it off.

Would that mean that the darining of blood is somehow not natural but rather assited or forced by the device suction.

Im not quite sure whether there are any medical explanation to say that such method would make it unsafe.

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